One Ride
by thewritestuff247
Summary: Technically follows on from my story "One Drink" (hence the slightly weird name), but it's also a completely stand alone story based on/set directly after 8x09 Pain Killers. Baez is discharged from the hospital. As always I DO NOT OWN BLUE BLOODS.


**One Ride**

He stared at the glowing numbers, watching them climb as the elevator rose. Moments later there was a quiet ding as the doors opened and Danny stepped out onto the ward. He walked the now very familiar path down the corridor towards Baez's room. When he turned the corner he could see her through the glass door of her room. He stopped and watched as she stood at the bed placing neatly folded clothes into the bag he had brought the day she had been admitted. He watched for a few more seconds before crossing the corridor to her room. He rapped his knuckles on the aluminium doorframe causing her to stop and look up.

"Hey." He smiled.

"Hey." She smiled back, not the tiniest bit surprised to see him there.

"Heard you're getting out today." He said entering the room, stopping at the foot of the bed.

"Yup." She confirmed as she zipped up her bag.

"You didn't have to come." She told him though she was glad he had.

"I wanted to. Besides, I figured you needed a ride." He replied with a small smile.

"Shouldn't you be at work?" She asked as she glanced at her watch.

"Lunch break." He explained. They both turned as a nurse entered the room with a wheelchair.

"Ready?" The nurse asked as she brought the wheelchair next to Baez.

"Do I have to?" Baez groaned.

"It's hospital policy." Danny answered before the nurse could speak.

"Since when do you care about policy?" Baez looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"Rules are rules." He smirked. She grinned, then complied and got in the wheelchair. She went to reach for her bag but he picked it up before she could grab it. He carried it as the nurse wheeled her out of the room.

They were barely ten feet down the corridor when Danny's phone buzzed. He pulled it out of his pocket and unlocked the screen.

"Work?" Baez asked as she watched him skim the message.

"Nothing that can't wait." He assured her as he returned his phone to his pocket.

"See, now there is a boyfriend with his priorities straight." The nurse commented as they stepped into the elevator.

"We're not together." Baez immediately corrected her.

"We're partners, cops." Danny quickly explained, opening his jacket and showing her his badge.

"Oh, sorry, my mistake." The nurse apologised turning red and remained quiet for the rest of the journey.

* * *

"We're just over there." He told the nurse pointing to his car as they exited the hospital. She stopped the wheelchair, crouched down and moved the footrests out of the way.

"There you go." She told Baez. Danny held out his hand, Baez saw it and smiled. She took it and stood up out of the wheelchair.

"Ok, you just take easy." The nurse told Baez with a warm smile.

"Thanks." She replied returning her smile. They watched as the nurse turned and headed back inside.

"You good?" Danny asked before Baez had even taken a step. She turned to him and realised he was still holding her hand.

"I'm fine. Would you stop fussing." She smiled and gently shook her hand free of his.

"I'm not." He told her as they started towards the car.

"Are to." She argued.

"You nearly died." He argued back.

"How long are you going to play the you nearly died card?" She teased.

"I don't know." He replied and they shared a small laugh.

They reached the car and he opened the front passenger side door and held it open for her. She climbed in and gave him another smile as he closed the door for her. He opened the door behind her and placed her bag on the seat. He then closed it, jogged around the car and climbed in the drivers seat.

"Hey, can we go through the McDonalds drive through?" She asked as they both did up their seat belts.

"McDonalds?" He asked surprised turning his head to look at her.

"Yeah, I've been eating hospital food for the last three days." She explained making a face.

"And you want McDonalds?" He repeated his question mildly horrified at her choice.

"Yes…please?"

"You know, I nearly died." She added grinning.

"Okay okay, we'll get McDonalds." He relented and they shared a laugh as he turned on the car. He checked the traffic then pulled out into the street.

"How long are you going to play that card?" He asked. She remained silent, grinning mischievously as she settled back into her seat.

* * *

Forty minutes later they pulled to a stop outside her apartment building. Danny turned off the car, immediately jogged around the bonnet and opened and held her door for her. She smiled gratefully and climbed out clutching a bag of McDonalds, deciding to enjoy the special treatment while it lasted. As she stepped up on to the kerb Danny closed the door, ducked behind her, opened the back passenger door and grabbed her bag. As they walked towards the building Baez reached in the bag, took out a french fry and ate it. As they stepped into the elevator Danny watched her eat another.

"Those better not be my fries." He told her as he tried to look inside the bag. She just smiled at him, grabbed another chip, ate it and quickly closed the bag.

Thirty seconds later they stepped off the elevator and as they walked down the hall Baez fished around inside the bag Danny was carrying to find her keys. They stopped outside the second to last apartment on their left, Baez unlocked the door, opened it and walked inside. Danny followed and closed the door behind himself. As he walked over to the sofa and put her bag down she entered the kitchen.

"Do you want to eat here, or do you need to get back?" She asked as she sorted out whose food was whose.

"I can stay." He told her and she couldn't help noticing he did so without checking the time. He saw her smile to herself as she got two plates out of the cupboard. As he walked over she placed a burger and a carton of fries on each plate, putting the carton with the most fries on his plate. They carried their plates over to a small dining table next to the window and took a seat.

"So what's the case you're working on?" She asked as she watched him shake some of his fries on to her plate so they each had same amount. He looked up from her plate to see her watching him and they shared a smile.

"No shop talk." He ordered not answering her question.

"Danny." She whined.

"You heard the nurse, you gotta take it easy."

"But..." She began.

"No, I know you. If I fill you in on my case, you'll be thinking about it all day instead of resting up and more than likely calling me to get updates on how it's going." He explained and saw her frown.

"I know because that's what I would do." He added.

"Fine." She sighed.

"Good." He replied slightly enjoying her frustration.

"So...the weather's really starting to turn cold huh?" She started and he laughed.

Half an hour later they sat in a comfortable silence as Danny watched Baez eat the last fry on her plate then lick the salt off her lips.

"I'm stuffed." She declared and he shook his head.

"I'm not surprised, you ate half my fries." He commented.

"You offered." She pointed out. They smiled as they stared at each other, after a few seconds she yawned, breaking the eye contact and quickly covered her mouth with her hand.

"I should let you get some rest." He said as he stood and collected the plates, took them to the kitchen and placed the them in the sink. As he walked back out of the kitchen she stood to walk him to the door. He grabbed his coat from the back of the chair and they crossed the small living room of her apartment. She reached out, unlocked the door and opened it.

"Thanks for the ride, and for lunch...and for staying." She told him appreciatively as she stood to one side.

"You're welcome." He smiled. He took a step through the door but then stopped and turned around. He paused, looked at her for a second before closing the gap between them and enveloping her in a hug.

"I'm really glad you're okay." He whispered. Caught off guard, she froze for a second before wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder.

"Me too." She whispered back. They stood embracing in the doorway for several seconds before Danny finally let her go.

"You get some rest, okay?" He instructed her.

"I will." She assured him as he stepped out into the hall. They shared another smile then he headed off down the hall.

"Danny?" She called after him before he'd even made it three feet.

"Yeah?" He asked turning back to look at her.

"Thank you." She told him genuinely grateful, he nodded and smiled.

"Anytime."


End file.
